Designing and manufacturing an Android-controlled robotic arm using rapid prototyping

Abstract

This paper aims to design and manufacture an Android-controlled robotic arm for the purpose of picking and placing objects in constrained environments. The motivation of the research is to assess the feasibility of controlling complex real-time operating systems using a personal handheld device, with a future scope to control larger scale operations in the same way. Our robotic arm is produced using rapid prototyping techniques and controlled by an Arduino based development board. It receives control commands from a bespoke Bluetooth app, allowing to select different servo operating modes. The system will be fully controllable from the Android device, allowing the user to manually adjust the position of the arm or running predefined algorithms in automatic mode. Experimental tests are conducted to evaluate the practical limitations of the robotic arm design coupled with the PCB circuitry used as a shield to control the system. The test results show that the system is capable of lifting weights up to 80g with a current draw of 970mA. The automatic control algorithm is found to operate for up to 12 minutes before encountering system bugs or overheating and proves to be a highly repeatable test system with a high level of adaptability. However, the 3D printed PETG is seen to wear over time; and therefore, a more suitable material is recommended to be utilized for fabrication.